The present invention relates to a method for notifying in advance the lack of a component at a component feed device which is set in a component mounting apparatus for mounting, e.g., electronic components onto a circuit board and feeds the electronic components, an apparatus for notifying in advance lack of component and carrying out the method for notifying in advance the lack of a component, a component mounting apparatus including the apparatus for notifying in advance the lack of a component or carrying out the method, and an article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium for the apparatus for notifying in advance the lack of a component.
An example of a constitution of a conventional component mounting apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 10-13.
FIG. 10 shows an appearance of a conventional component mounting apparatus 1 which roughly comprises an orthogonal table 12 which is movable to directions of X and Y orthogonal to each other, a component feed device 13, a feed table 14, a component hold device 15, a circuit board transfer device 18, and a control device 20. In FIG. 10, a display part 10 has a screen for displaying a state of the component mounting apparatus 1 and contents of data. An input device 11 has a keyboard for use in inputting data, etc.
The orthogonal table 12 is a table for holding and positioning a circuit board 2 to mount electronic components to the circuit board 2. The table is movable in X, Y directions orthogonal to each other.
The component feed device 13 in the example is constituted of reel-type parts cassettes 13a, each of which has a mechanism for continuously supplying the electronic component from a reel to which a tape storing the electronic components is wound. As shown in the drawing, a plurality of parts cassettes 13a are arranged side by side in the X direction. FIG. 13 indicates an appearance of one parts cassette 13a. 13a-1 is a component suction part positioned to correspond to a nozzle 15b of the component hold part 15 which will be described later, where the electronic component to be sucked by the nozzle 15b is located. 13a-2 is a reel hold part holding the reel. 13a-3 is a component feed part for sending the tape from the reel to the component suction part 13a-1 every time the component mounting apparatus 1 pushes in a feed lever.
The feed table 14 loads the component feed device 13 removably and can move in the X direction along a rail 16 extending in the X direction. The feed table 14 has unique numbers (referred to as Z numbers hereinafter) at each position in the X direction where the feed table loads each of the parts cassettes 13a to recognize each of the 43 positions.
According to the example, the component hold device 15 is of a rotary head type including a plurality of mounting heads 15a and a plurality of nozzles 15b corresponding, respectively, to the mounting heads 15a for sucking and thereby holding the electronic components. Although the component hold device 15 is rotatable in a direction about a rotational center axis designated by an arrow 17, the device never moves in the X, Y directions. Each nozzle 15b can move up and down in parallel to a direction in which the nozzle extends.
The circuit board transfer device 18 transfers the circuit boards 2 to the component mounting apparatus 1 and sends the circuit boards 2 out of the component mounting apparatus 1.
The control device 20 controls operations of the above-described parts constituting the apparatus thereby controlling a mount operation for electronic components to the circuit boards 2.
Components are mounted in the following manner in the component mounting apparatus 1 constituted as described above.
The feed table 14 moves the parts cassette 13a holding a desired electronic component to be mounted to the circuit board 2 to a component hold position where the electronic component can be sucked by the nozzle 15b. On the other hand, the orthogonal table 12 moves in the X, Y directions to position the nozzle 15b in holding the electronic component to a desired mount position on the circuit board 2. After holding the electronic component from the parts cassette 13a positioned by the feed table 14, the nozzle 15b of the component hold device 15 rotates in the direction 17 about the axis, lowers and mounts the electronic component to the mount position positioned by the orthogonal table 12.
FIG. 11 shows a structure of data for use in executing the above-described mount operation, i.e., data regulating positions of the components to be mounted on the circuit board 2 and a mount order. The data structure is called an NC program. In FIG. 11, 30 designates the structure of the entire NC program, 31 is a block number showing the mount order. 32 is a mount coordinate showing positions of components to be mounted on the circuit board 2. The position of each component is defined by two-dimensional coordinates based on a reference position on the circuit board 2 as an origin. 33 is the earlier-mentioned Z number showing an arrangement position of each parts cassette 13a at the feed table 14.
FIG. 12 shows a structure of data regulating types of electronic components stored in the parts cassettes 13a arranged on the feed table 14. The data structure is called as an array program. 40 in FIG. 12 indicates an entire structure of the array program, and xe2x80x9cZ numbersxe2x80x9d in the array program 40 correspond to the Z numbers 33 in the NC program 30. 42 is a component name of the electronic component stored in each parts cassette 13a with the Z number, which consists of a character string defining a type of the component uniquely.
FIG. 14 is an example of a screen display pattern for use in inputting a count of remaining components and an advance notice count of remaining components for each Z number 33 in the array program 40 in the component feed device 13 placed on the feed table 14. xe2x80x9cZ numbersxe2x80x9d in FIG. 14 correspond to the Z numbers 33 in the array program 40. 45 is the count of remaining components in each parts cassette 13a corresponding to each Z number 33 which is input by a worker before a start of production. 46 is the advance notice count of remaining components. When the count of components actually remaining in each parts cassette 13a with the Z number 33 becomes smaller than the input advance notice count of remaining components, the fact is informed to the worker.
FIG. 15 is a block diagram of the conventional processing structure for notifying the lack of components in advance. In FIG. 15, 50 is an input part including the display part 10 shown in FIG. 10 for displaying the screen display pattern of FIG. 14, etc. and the input device 11 having a keyboard or the like input device. 51 is a management part for managing the count of remaining components which subtracts one from the count 45 of remaining components input through the input part 50 every time a component is used during the production and keeps the count. 52 is an advance notice judgment part which compares the advance notice count 46 of remaining components input through the input part 50 with the count 45 of remaining components kept by the management part 51 and sends out a signal to a notification part 53 when the count 45 becomes smaller than the advance notice count 46. The notification part 53 informs the worker upon receipt of the signal from the advance notice judgment part 52 that the lack of components is nearing.
The above management part 51 and advance notice judgment part 52 are included in the control device 20.
The procedure for checking component names and registering the count of remaining components when product types are to be switched in the thus-constituted component mounting apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 through 15 and flow charts of FIGS. 16 and 17.
FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing procedures on an occasion of switching the production types. Referring to FIG. 16, the NC program 30 and the array program 40 to be used for the switch of production types are selected and registered in the control device 20 of the component mounting apparatus 1 (step 60). Each parts cassette 13a holding components is disposed on the feed table 14 while the component name 42 and the Z number 33 are made corresponding to each other in accordance with a definition of the selected array program 40 (step 61). The count 45 of remaining electronic components held in each parts cassette 13a is input and registered into the management part 51 through the screen display pattern of FIG. 14 (step 62). Moreover, the advance notice count 46 of remaining components for each parts cassette 13a is input and registered into the advance notice judgment part 52 based on the same screen display pattern (step 63).
In the foregoing description of the example, the count of remaining components kept in each parts cassette 13a is directly input based on the screen display pattern shown in FIG. 14. However, an alternative method is adoptable, whereby the count of remaining components registered from an external terminal or the like to a memory medium installed in the component feed device 13 is read by a read device set at the component mounting apparatus 1 before the production start, and the read count of remaining components is automatically registered in the management part 51.
In addition, although the count of remaining components in each parts cassette 13a is input from the screen display pattern independently of the array program 40 in the foregoing example, the count of remaining components can be registered in the management part 51 by quoting data directly related to the Z number 33 in the array program 40 or data defined for each component name 42.
FIG. 17 is a flow chart of procedures for advance notification of a lack of components during the production. In FIG. 17, the production is started (step 70), and every time the component is used from each parts cassette 13a, the count of remaining components of the parts cassette 13a from which the component is supplied is decremented at the management part 51 (step 71). In the parts cassette 13a from which the count of remaining components is decremented, the preliminarily set advance notice count 46 and the decremented count of remaining components are compared with each other at the advance notice judgment part 52 (step 72). At this time, if the decremented count of remaining components is smaller than the advance notice count 46, it is informed by the notification part 53 to the worker (step 73). The notifying lack of components is erased when a fresh component is supplemented to the component feed device 13 (step 75) after the lack of component actually takes place (step 74).
For notifying the worker, a message may be displayed at the notification part 153, a signal tower is turned on, or the like manner is used.
In the above-described related art arrangement, the count 45 of remaining components and the advance notice remaining count 46 should be registered for every parts cassette 13a whenever production types are switched, thereby requiring much time for the switching.
The advance notice remaining count 46 should be registered for each of the parts cassettes 13a. For example, if the same advance notice remaining count 46 is registered for all of the parts cassettes 13a in order to avoid the trouble, since a time from the advance notice of a lack of components to the actual occurrence of lacking components in a parts cassette 13a supplying many components is different from that of a parts cassette 13a not supplying many components, the advance notice of the lack of components tends to be informed for a plurality of parts cassettes 13a at one time and the like. Thus the worker is confused.
On the other hand, in the case where the advance notice remaining count 46 of a different value for each parts cassette 13a is to be registered, the number of use of each parts cassettes 13a should be detected beforehand for each production type, whereby the worker""s work of referring to the NC program 30 and the array program 40, etc. is complicated and also a time for the registration of the advance notice remaining count 46 at the switch of production types is increased.
The present invention is devised to solve the aforementioned problems and has for its object to provide a method and an apparatus for notifying a component-lack in advance whereby a worker""s burden when replacing components and switching production types of objects to be mounted is lightened and efficiency for the work is enhanced in comparison with the related art, a component mounting apparatus including the apparatus for notifying lack of component in a advance, and an article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium for the apparatus for notifying in advance the lack of a component.
In order to accomplish the above-described objective, the present invention is constituted as follows.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a component-lack advance notice apparatus for notifying lack of component in advance at each of a plurality of component feed parts, the lack of component being brought about when each of a plurality of components supplied with a different component count from each of the component feed parts constituting a component mounting apparatus is mounted to each of objects to be mounted, thereby producing component mounted objects, the apparatus comprising: a producible count determination part to which an advance notice time and an estimated production time are supplied, the advance notice time being a time from the advance notice of lack of component to an actual occurrence of lack of component at the component feed part and uniform for all component feed parts, the estimated production time being estimated to be required for producing one of the component mounted objects, the producible count determination part obtaining a producible count of the component mounted object within the advance notice time on the basis of the advance notice time and estimated production time and obtaining also an advance notice remaining count for each component feed part which is a count of components to be supplied from each component feed part within the advance notice time on the basis of the producible count and a count of components to be supplied from each component feed part per a production of one of the component mounted objects; and an advance notice part which notifies the lack of component in advance with respect to each component feed part when a count of remaining components at the component feed part becomes smaller than the advance notice remaining count at the component feed part corresponding to the count of remaining components.
In a component-lack advance notice method according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a component-lack advance notice method for notifying lack of component in advance at each of a plurality of component feed parts, the lack of component being brought about when each of a plurality of components supplied with a different component count from each of the component feed parts is mounted to each of objects to be mounted, thereby producing component mounted objects, the method comprising: supplying a count of components to be supplied from each component feed part per a production of one of the component mounted objects; supplying an advance notice time and an estimated production time, the advance notice time being a time from the advance notice of lack of component to an actual occurrence of lack of component at the component feed part and uniform for all component feed parts, the estimated production time being estimated to be required for producing the one of the component mounted objects, and obtaining a producible count of the component mounted object within the advance notice time on the basis of the advance notice time and estimated production time and obtaining also an advance notice remaining count for each component feed part which is a count of components to be supplied from each component feed part within the advance notice time on the basis of the producible count and a count of components to be supplied from each component feed part per the production of the one of the component mounted objects; and notifying the lack of component in advance with respect to each component feed part when a count of remaining components at the component feed part becomes smaller than the advance notice remaining count at the component feed part corresponding to the count of remaining components.
A component mounting apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention includes the component lack advance notice apparatus according to the first aspect.
According to the component-lack advance notice apparatus in the first aspect of the present invention, the component-lack advance notice method of the second aspect, and the component mounting apparatus of the third aspect, the producible count determination part and the advance notice part are provided, so that the advance notice time from the advance notice of lack of component to the actual lack of component can be set appropriately to conform to the production state in the apparatus, e.g., time required by a worker for a replacement of components, inventory management manner and the like. Thus an appropriate indication to the worker at the occurrence of the lack of component can be ensured, thereby favorably improving work efficiency.
The producible count determination part obtains the advance notice remaining count for each component feed part in accordance with the set advance notice time. Thus the conventional need for the worker to set the advance notice count for each component feed part is eliminated, whereby the time for switching types of objects to be mounted is shortened and the component mounting apparatus is improved in availability.
Further, in an article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article of manufacture comprising: a computer usable medium, including computer-readable program code embodied therein, for causing a computer to notify lack of component in advance at each of a plurality of component feed parts, the lack of component being brought about when each of a plurality of components supplied with a different component count from each of the component feed parts is mounted to each of objects to be mounted, thereby producing component mounted objects, the computer-readable program code in the article of manufacture comprising: computer-readable program code operable to supply a count of components to be supplied from each component feed part per a production of one of the component mounted objects; computer-readable program code operable to supply an advance notice time and an estimated production time, the advance notice time being a time from the advance notice of lack of component to an actual occurrence of lack of component at the component feed part and uniform for all component feed parts, the estimated production time being estimated to be required for producing the one of the component mounted objects, and obtain a producible count of the component mounted object within the advance notice time on the basis of the advance notice time and estimated production time and obtain also an advance notice remaining count for each component feed part which is a count of components to be supplied from each component feed part within the advance notice time on the basis of the producible count and a count of components to be supplied from each component feed part per the production of the one of the component mounted objects; and computer-readable program code operable to notify the lack of component in advance with respect to each component feed part when a count of remaining components at the component feed part becomes smaller than the advance notice remaining count at the component feed part corresponding to the count of remaining components.